Intelligent Inter-Connect and Cross-Connect Patching System

ABSTRACT

An intelligent network patch field management system is provided that includes electronic hardware, firmware, mechanical assemblies, cables, and software that provide visible and audible cues for connecting and disconnecting patch cords in an interconnect or cross-connect patching environment. Systems of the present invention also monitor patch cord connections in a network.

CROSS-REFERENCE

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/588,136, filed Aug. 17, 2012, which is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/103,189, filed May 9, 2011, which issued as U.S.Pat. No. 8,246,397 on Aug. 21, 2012, which is a continuation of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 12/389,809, filed Feb. 20, 2009, whichissued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,983,700 on May 10, 2011, which claims priorityto U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/030,405, filed Feb. 21,2008, the subject matter of which is hereby incorporated herein byreference in its entirety. Further, U.S. Pat. No. 7,297, 018, issuedNov. 20, 2007 is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present application relates to network documentation and revisionsystems, and more particularly to a system for implementing anintelligent interconnect and cross-connect patching system between endusers and network switches.

BACKGROUND

Communications networks are growing in number and complexity, and arecontinually being interconnected to satisfy customers' needs. Patchpanels are used in communications networks as intermediate elementsbetween horizontal cabling (to which endpoint devices such as computersand telephones are connected) and network switches. Specifically, patchpanels include a panel of network ports that connect incoming andoutgoing lines of a local area network (LAN) or other communication,electronic or electrical system. In a LAN, for example, the patch panelconnects the network's computers to switches or routers that enable theLAN to connect to the Internet or another wide area network (WAN).Connections are made with patch cords. The patch panel allows circuitsto be arranged and rearranged by plugging and unplugging the patchcords.

When physical connections between endpoint devices and network switchesare added, moved or removed, patch panels are the points at whichtechnicians complete the required moves, additions or changes of cablingwithin patch fields. Patch panels offer the convenience of allowingtechnicians to quickly change the path of selected signals, without theexpense of dedicated switching equipment.

It is important to maintain a record of changes that are made to patchcord connections within the patch field. Proper documentation of changesin the patch field assures that the routing of patch cords is alwaysknown and further assures that any future changes are completedcorrectly.

Human error associated with the implementation and maintenance ofphysical cable connections between network communication equipment canresult in significant negative impact to a network. Such negative impactcan be avoided through improved control and verification of networkcable Move/Add/Change orders implemented by network technicians.

SUMMARY

Within embodiments discussed below, a system for guiding patch cordconnections in a network is provided. The system includes a patch panelincluding ports, a panel management module (PMM) inserted into the patchpanel and being able to detect insertion or removal of a patch cord intoa port of the patch panel, and a peripheral expansion management module(PEMM) coupled to the PMM for providing support to the PMM.

The system may be used to provide for a method of guiding patch cordconnections in a cross-connect network so as to detect insertion orremoval of a patch cord into a port of the patch panel. The methodincludes receiving a nine-wire patch cord into a patch panel port,determining a type of cable that has been received, and determiningwhether a far end of the nine-wire patch cord is plugged into a patchpanel. The method also includes initiating communications and exchangingdata via a ninth wire of the nine-wire patch cord when both ends of thenine-wire patch cord are inserted into patch panel ports, andcommunicating connection status to the PMM.

The system may be used to provide for a method of guiding patch cordconnections in an interconnect network so as to detect insertion orremoval of a patch cord into a port of the patch panel. The methodincludes receiving a close end of a ten-wire patch cord into aprovisioning port of the PMM, the PMM instructing a far end of theten-wire patch cord to illuminate an LED at the far end, and receivingthe far end of the ten-wire patch cord into a port of the switch orrouter. The method also includes the PMM receiving a packet from theswitch that indicates a port address at which the far end of theten-wire patch cord has been inserted, and determining if the far end ofthe ten-wire patch cord has been inserted into a correct port of theswitch. If the far end of the ten-wire patch cord has been inserted intoa correct port of the switch, the method includes the PMM illuminatingan LED atop the provisioning port to instruct a user to remove the closeend of the I-Cord from the provisioning port on the PMM. Following this,the method includes receiving the close end of the I-Cord into a port ofthe patch panel and determining if the close end of the I-Cord has beeninserted into a correct patch panel port.

In still other embodiments, a port trace key may be used with the systemto provide a method of guiding patch cord tracing in a network. Themethod includes receiving a port trace key into a provisioning port ofthe PMM and the PMM reading a memory of the port trace key to identifyan LED color sequence to use for tracing ends of a patch cord.Following, the method includes receiving a first end of a patch cordinto the provisioning port of the PMM, instructing a second end of thepatch cord to illuminate an LED according to the LED color sequencereceived from the port trace key, and storing changes made to the systemin the memory of the port trace key.

These and other aspects will become apparent to those of ordinary skillin the art by reading the following detailed description, with referencewhere appropriate to the accompanying drawings. Further, it should beunderstood that the embodiments noted herein are not intended to limitthe scope of the invention as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

FIG. 1 illustrates an example patch panel system.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example of seven modular patch panels.

FIG. 3 illustrates one example of a front perspective view of a wingboard.

FIGS. 4A-4B illustrate examples of a front and rear perspective view ofa panel management module (PMM).

FIGS. 5A-5B illustrate examples of a front and rear perspective view ofa panel management module (PMM) installed within a patch panel.

FIG. 6A illustrates an example of a user interface.

FIG. 6B illustrates an example a plastic insert to the patch panel.

FIG. 7 illustrates an example block diagram of a patch panel systemarchitecture.

FIG. 8 illustrates a more detailed example block diagram of a patchpanel system architecture.

FIG. 9 illustrates a block diagram of an example of a panel managementmodule (PMM) daisy chain configuration.

FIG. 10 illustrates an example of a rear perspective view of aperipheral expansion management module (PEMM).

FIG. 11 illustrates an example of a port trace key (PTK).

FIG. 12A is an example block diagram illustrating a cross-connectnetwork architecture.

FIG. 12B is an example block diagram illustrating an interconnectnetwork architecture.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart depicting functional steps of an example methodfor performing patching between patch panels in a cross-connect typearchitecture.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart depicting functional steps of an example methodfor performing patching between patch panels in an interconnect typearchitecture in a guided patching case.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present application provides a system including an IntelligentPhysical Layer Management (IPLM) tool with modular, intelligence-readypatch panels, panel management modules, enhanced patch cords, andsoftware that enables operations and management aspects for the system.The system enables complete tracing of cables in patch panel connectionswithin cross-connect patch panel architectures.

I. Patch-Field System Architecture Overview

FIG. 1 illustrates an example patch panel system including patch panel102 (labeled “Patch Panel X”) connected to patch panel 104 (labeled“Patch Panel Z”) using a patch cord 106. Ports of the patch panels 102and 104, such as ports 108 and 110, may communicate connectioninformation between each other via the patch cord. Patch panels of thepresent application may be available in both flat and angledconfigurations. The patch panels 102 and 104 and/or the patch cord 106may be provided with “intelligence” in the form of circuitry, which canperform detailed functions (discussed below).

FIG. 2 illustrates an example of seven modular patch panels 202(a)-(g).Each patch panel 202 includes a pair of network connection ports 204that allow the respective patch panels to be connected in a daisy-chainconfiguration to a network connection 206 using daisy-chain networkcables 208 (e.g., relatively short spans of 4-pair network cableterminated in conventional RJ-45 terminators). The network connection206 may provide network connectivity to each patch panel in thedaisy-chain and may provide each patch panel in the daisy-chain withconnectivity to a remote network management system (NMS). Further, eachpatch panel 202 may include a pair of power sharing ports 210 that allowthe patch panels to be interconnected in a daisy-chain configuration toa single power supply 212 using daisy-chain power cables 214 (e.g.,relatively short spans of DC or AC electrical power cabling withappropriate connectors). Data connections between ports of the patchpanels 202, shown in a cross-connect deployment, are made by patch cords216(a)-(g).

Patch panels may be connected in a variety of ways, and the aboveconfigurations are just two such examples. Depending on an amount ofcustomers to support, additional patch panels may also be included.

Each patch panel port of the present application is provided withcontacts that enable the patch panels to identify when patch cord plugshave been inserted into ports of the patch panel. Further, each patchpanel port is provided with indicator lights (or other signalingmechanisms) that allow the patch panels to guide steps of the additionor removal of patch cords connected between patch panels. The indicatorlights may be implemented as dual-color red and green LEDs, for example.The use of contacts enables guided addition and removal processes,instant recognition of plug insertions and removals by the patch panels,and immediate communication of plug insertions and removals by patchpanels to a network management system (NMS), which may be a softwareapplication that runs on a Windows or Linux operating system, forexample. The NMS allows clients to connect and perform a multitude ofactions including, but not limited to, creation of work orders andcreation of equipment specific or location specific policies, tasks,etc. The NMS may communicate with the patch panel via SNMP over standard10/100 Ethernet. One example of management software is described inUnited States Patent Application Publication No. US 2006/0047800 A1, thecontents of which are incorporated by reference as if fully set forthherein.

The patch panels may thus be considered “intelligent” patch panelsbecause the patch panels can detect the insertion or removal of patchcords. The patch panels may be a shielded or UTP (unshielded twistedpair) patch panel. Patch panels may accommodate copper or fiber jacks,and are available in straight or angled variants. The patch panelsinclude two detachable wing boards that house electronic circuitry, suchas integrated light-emitting diodes (LEDs), proprietary two-conductorplug receptacles (for example, one each per jack located adjacent to thejack) and other electronic components necessary to enable continuousscanning of patch cord connections and visual cueing to an operator ortechnician.

FIG. 3 illustrates one example of a front view of a wing board 302. Thewing board is preferably a printed circuit board assembly that includesmicrocontrollers, LEDs, and contacts, such as contact 304, which areattached to or assembled to the patch panels. The contacts are insertedinto each port opening of a patch panel, and receive contacts of patchcords, for example. Wing boards may be attached to the left and rightside of a patch panel. The wing boards are electrical/mechanicalassemblies that provide the mechanical and electrical interfaces topatch cords as well as low-level communications hardware for datatransfer between patch panels (in XCP (cross-connect patching)configurations) or between patch panels and interconnect plugelectronics (in ICP (interconnect patching) configurations). The wingboards may be of many designs, such as a power over Ethernet (PoE) wingboard, a visual display wing board (such as a wing board with an LCDdisplay), a variant wing board (such as a wingboard having environmentalsensors such as temperature or moisture sensors) and/or combinations ofthe above.

Ports of the patch panel may include contacts that support communicationvia patch cords that have eight wires. In the present application, anintelligent patch cord may be a 10-wire patch cord, including the eighttypical wires and two additional wires, referred to herein as the 9thand 10th wires, which will contact with 9th and 10th wire contacts inthe wing boards. In some embodiments, a 9-wire patch cord is provided,including the eight typical wires and one additional wire, whichcontacts a 9^(th) wire contact provided in the wing boards. Ninth (andtenth) wires and contacts according to the present invention are usedfor patch cord management functions and may be considered “managementcontacts” or “management wires.”

The patch panel system of the present application also includes a panelmanagement module (PMM). The PMM is a modular (i.e., readily installedor removed) microprocessor assembly that provides intelligence andnetwork connectivity to the patch panel. The PMM includes a printedcircuit board, a cold fire processor complex (CFP) including flash andRAM memory and a clock, and a peripheral equipment micro-controller(PEPIC) sub-assembly, for example. The PMM enables efficient servicing,whereby a replacement PMM can be inserted and provisioned quickly tominimize downtime of the patch panel. The PMM provides “intelligence” tothe patch panel, and thus using a modular piece enables upgradingprocessor technology without requiring an entire patch panel to beexchanged.

FIG. 4A illustrates one example of a front view of a PMM 402, and FIG.4B illustrates one example of a rear view of the PMM 402. The PMM 402preferably includes three card edge connectors 404, 406, and 408 thatconnect with the patch panel. The patch panel accepts the PMM in acenter of the patch panel. The connector 404 mates with a provisioningport (or user interface area) of the patch panel, while connectors 406and 408 mate with right and left wing boards of the patch panel. On therear of the PMM 402 are two power ports 410 and 412, which allow for adaisy-chain power connection. The power ports 410 and 412 may be 48-voltDC power connectors, and the PMM 402 can use either connector to receivepower, with the other available to pass power to another PMM or othermodule.

In the center of the rear of the PMM 402 are two Ethernet ports 414 and416, such as Ethernet ports for connecting to an Ethernet network andfor daisy chaining Ethernet connectivity between PMMs (via a cat5eEthernet cable, for example). The PMM also includes an RS-485 data port418 that may be used for connecting to other expansion devices (such asa peripheral expansion management module (PEMM) discussed below).

FIG. 5A illustrates one example of a front view of a PMM 502 installedwithin a patch panel 504. FIG. 5B illustrates one example of a rear viewof a PMM 502 installed within a patch panel 504.

The PMM 502 provides a processor core for managed network solutionproducts and application-specific wing boards. Firmware within the PMM502 provides the PMM 502 with software required to support differenttypes of wing boards. The wing boards, such as wing board 508, mayinclude discrete components, program array logic (PAL) devices, PICmicrocontrollers, or microprocessors, and the PMM 502 may communicatewith any of these devices.

The patch panels of the present application also include a provisioningport 506 (shown in FIG. 5A). The provisioning port 506 provides useraccess to a technician at a rack with an installed PMM. The provisioningport provides a subset of the management capabilities provided by therear-facing ports. FIG. 6A illustrates one example of a front view of auser interface insert 602 that is mounted at the provisioning port. Theuser interface insert 602 includes two buttons 604, four LED's 606, theprovisioning port 506 (shown in FIG. 6A as an RJ45 Ethernet jack 608),and contacts to detect a 9th and 10th wire of a patch cord (not visibledue to perspective). The user interface insert 602 interfaces with thePMM through a card edge connector 610.

If a patch panel does not include a PMM, a plastic insert 612 as shownin FIG. 6B may be inserted into the provisioning port of the patchpanel.

FIG. 7 illustrates an example block diagram of a patch panel systemarchitecture 700. The system 700 includes a PMM 702 interfacing with twowing boards 704 and 706 through two separate wing-buses: a left wing busand a right wing bus. The PMM 702 is shown to provide up to one amp of3.3 volt DC power to each wing board 704 and 706. Future wing boardsrequiring more than one amp may be required to have a separate oradditional power source. The PMM 702 is shown to include a power input(48 volt DC), two Ethernet ports (10/100 ports) (which may be providedon a rear face) and a single Ethernet port on a front of the PMM 702 fora provisioning port located on the front of the patch panel.

FIG. 8 illustrates a more detailed example block diagram of a patchpanel system architecture 800. As mentioned above, the system 800includes a PMM 802 connected to two wing boards 804 and 806 throughseparate PC buses. Each of the wing boards includes multiple portsgrouped together and possibly managed by multiple processors. The PMM802 includes a central PIC processor 808 that communicates with theprovisioning port of the patch panel, and with a 9th and 10th wire of apatch cord. The processor 808 interfaces with a processor complex 810,such as a ColdFire processor complex (CFP), that is capable of runningwith a 32-bit data bus and a 24-bit address bus. In one embodiment, theprocessor complex 810 includes flash memory, that may be limited to a16-bit data bus, an Ethernet Switch that contains five Ethernet PhysicalLayer Interfaces (PHYs) and a Media Independent Interface (MII) to theColdFire processor in the CFP complex 810, and SDRAM memory. The FLASHmemory device will support boot code, application code, and non-volatiledatabases. The SDRAM memory device will support boot code, applicationcode, and volatile data.

The PMM 802 also includes an RS485 expansion port 812 to connect to andmanage future in-rack devices, such as thermal monitoring, environmentalcontrol, and power monitoring.

User interactions with the functions enabled by the PMM 802 may becarried out via a user interface with two pushbuttons that are used forvarious user controls including port selection, PMM reset, userconfirmations, etc. The provisioning port is also present on the PMMuser interface along with four tri-color LED's. The PMM 802 may alsoinclude a buzzer to be used to further guide a technician inprovisioning of patch cords.

FIG. 9 illustrates a block diagram of an example of a PMM daisy chainconfiguration. The patch panel system according to one embodiment of thepresent application may support up to 50 units in a daisy chain of theEthernet links. As shown, a first PMM is connected to a network 902through Ethernet port 1. A second PMM connects to Ethernet port 2 of thefirst PMM. This connection configuration continues through to a fiftiethPMM, for example (a configuration may include more or fewer PMMs). Thedaisy chain capability eliminates the need for additional Ethernetswitch ports as the number of PMMs increases. The daisy chain will alsosupport a proprietary messaging interface between units within the daisychain. Firmware in the PMM allows a user to configure a PMM by directlyconnecting to a rear of the PMM. Moreover, the user can configure orreconfigure all of the PMM's in a chain by connecting to one PMM. Forexample, a user could plug a computer into the tenth PMM and manage allPMMs through a web-based or command-line interface.

The patch panel system of the present application may also include aperipheral expansion management module (PEMM). FIG. 10 illustrates anexample of a rear view of a PEMM 1000. The PEMM 1000 is a peripheraldevice that attaches to a PMM through an RS485 port and is an extensionof the PMM, bringing some functions of the PMM to other panels (forexample, other panels within a rack) without necessarily replicating allof the connectivity or user interface elements of the PMM. Thus, thePEMM 1000 includes two RS485 ports 1002 and 1004. The PEMM 1000 alsoincludes two power connectors 1006 and 1008, one of which is used topower the PEMM 1000 and the other of which can be used to daisy-chainpower connections to other expansion devices. The PEMM 1000 may includethe same microcontroller as found in a PMM, and functions as anextension of the PMM. In one embodiment, the PEMM 1000 acts as anexpansion device for the PMM on a separate panel from the PMM, and maybe similar to the PMM except that the PEMM does not include Ethernetports and cannot directly connect to the network. The PEMM 1000 maytransmit control signals from the PMM to control contacts and indicatorlights associated with ports of the patch panel to which the PEMM 1000is connected. Alternatively, the PMM may transmit instructions to thePEMM, which in turn can directly address the indicator lights on itsassociated patch panel, as well as transmit and receive signals to andfrom control contacts associated with ports on the patch panel where thePEMM is installed. Other types of connectivity may be provided on thePEMM, depending on the particular functions desired by the user.

In another embodiment, patch panel connections (e.g., connectionsbetween patch panels) of the present application may be made using anine-wire patch cord, which differs from a typical patch cord in thatthe nine-wire patch cord includes an extra wire that allows for sensingof connection and communication across the physical layer. A nine-wirepatch cord may be a standard RJ45-style Ethernet patch cord with anadditional conductor attached to a blade assembly at each plug.

Patch panel connections (e.g., connections between patch panels) of thepresent application may be made using an interconnect patch cord (aten-wire patch cord) that supports Intelligent Physical Layer Management(IPLM) of networks. A ten-wire patch cord has the availability as bothan unshielded and shielded solution, availability in varying lengths andcolors, and integration of a contact system to enable continuouspatch-field scanning. The ten-wire patch cord has an additional wirethat allows for communication to and from circuitry embedded in thecable and the RJ45 jack. The ten-wire patch cord includes circuitry toprovide unique patch cord identification and jack identification, and anembedded LED for patch guidance for cueing the operator of an operation.In order to detect connectivity changes, a design of the I-Cord providescontinuous-scanning capabilities of the interconnect solution withoutrequiring the addition of sensor strips, mechanical contacts or any suchhardware onto the switch.

The patch panel system of the present application may also include aPort Trace Key (PTK) 1100, an example of which is illustrated in FIG.11. The PTK 1100 includes a memory to store a unique identifier to beused to establish a sequence of colors of an LED to use for tracing endsof a cable (e.g., a sequence of colors associated with a specific key),and for storing the changes made to the system including who made thechanges. The PTK 1100 includes an RJ45 connector 1102 with 9th and 10thwire contacts and a printed circuit board (PCB) with intelligence tostore the unique ID. For a user to gain access to port tracefunctionality of the PMM, a user first inserts the PTK 1100 into the PMMprovisioning port. The trace functionality allows the user to trace thetwo ports to which a patch cord is connected by illuminating the LED(s)above the respective ports by flashing a pattern associated with thePTK.

The PTK 1100 is useful when, for example, a technician needs to performa trace or troubleshoot a port. Upon insertion of the PTK 1100 into aPMM, the PMM transitions to a trace mode and reads the PTK's uniqueidentifier to determine a color sequence to use. The technician willthen use the buttons on the PMM to select the port that he wishes totrace. The LED above that port will then display the LED sequence asdesignated by the PTK above both of the ports that the patch cord isconnected to, thus allowing the technician to identify both ends. Thetechnician can then make a visual determination at the far end of thecable to identify the cable that has an LED blinking according to thePTK's color sequence (e.g., red/green). Additionally, a virtual tracecan be instituted using the NMS without a technician being present orwithout a trace key being present at the patch panel.

The PTK enables multiple users to initiate multiple simultaneous tracesdue to tri-color LED's above each port in the patch panel that can beused to differentiate the state and type of cord connected to each port.Additionally, because each port trace key has a unique identifier, thesystem can store patch cord connectivity changes made by a user usingthe port trace key and/or the changes can be stored within the memory ofthe port trace key. Further, each technician can be assigned a specificport trace key so that an administrator can determine who made changesto the system.

II. Patch-Field System Operation

The patch panel system of the present application is an IntelligentPhysical Layer Management (IPLM) tool including modular,intelligence-ready patch panels, PMMs, enhanced patch cords, andsoftware that enables operations and management functions of the systemto be performed more easily. Aspects of the present application enable atechnician to perform patching between patch panels more efficiently. Asequence of steps is provided below to create a connection between apatch panel and a switch using the patch panel system of the presentapplication.

The PMM that is inserted into the patch panel will act as the primaryintelligence in the system to maintain connection status information andto aid the technician with cord tracing and patching.

Patch panel systems of the present application may be used within across-connect or interconnect type architecture. FIG. 12A is an exampleblock diagram illustrating a cross-connect architecture, which is aconfiguration including a switch 1202 coupled to an end computer 1208through a panel 1204 to panel 1206 connection. For purposes of thepresent description, the panels 1204 and 1206 are provided with“intelligence” in the form of circuitry, such as by including PMMs andwing boards for example.

FIG. 12B is an example block diagram illustrating an interconnectarchitecture, which is a configuration including the switch 1202 coupledto the end computer 1208 through one panel 1204. Each of the switch 1202and the patch panel 1204 communicate through network management software1210. As with the cross-connect architecture, for purposes of thepresent description, the panels 1204 are also provided with“intelligence” in the form of circuitry.

Generally, in a cross-connect type architecture, the system will use thecombination of a nine-wire patch cord and custom electronics in the wingboards to detect point-to-point patches. FIG. 13 is a flowchartdepicting functional steps of an example method for performing patchingbetween patch panels in a cross-connect type architecture. It should beunderstood that each block in this flowchart (and within other flowdiagrams presented herein) may represent a module, segment, or portionof computer program code, which includes one or more executableinstructions for implementing specific logical functions or steps in theprocess. Alternate implementations are included within the scope of theexample embodiments in which functions may be executed out of order fromthat shown or discussed, including substantially concurrently or inreverse order, depending on the functionality involved, as would beunderstood by those reasonably skilled in the art of the describedembodiments.

Initially, when a nine-wire patch cord is inserted into a patch panelport, the ninth wire of the nine-wire patch cord will make an electricalconnect with the contacts on the wing board, as shown at block 1302. Thewing board electronics can determine both the type of cable (nine-wirepatch cord or ten-wire patch cord), and whether the cord is plugged intoa patch panel at the other end (far end), as shown at block 1304. Whenboth ends of a nine-wire patch cord are in patch panel ports, the wingboards will initiate communications and exchange data via the ninthwire, as shown at block 1306. The wing boards will exchange a panel IDand port information, and then the wing boards on the patch panelsconnected by the patch cord will communicate the connection status alongwith the ID info nation to the PMM, as shown at block 1308. If thesystem includes an NMS, the PMM will forward the connection informationto the NMS for display and storage. Many different types ofcommunication protocols may be used by the PMM, wing boards and patchcords to transfer data among the components. Some example protocols arediscussed below.

Using the cross-connect type architecture, the technician makes theconnections as desired between patch panels with the nine-wire patchcord, and once the connections are completed, the wing boards sendconnection information to the PMM, which forwards the information to theNMS for display and storage.

Similar steps are performed to create a connection within aninterconnect system architecture between a patch panel and an Ethernetswitch or Ethernet router. In one example, a sequence of steps can becompleted that are referred to as I-Cord provisioning. The PMM that isinserted into the patch panel will act as the intelligence to learn froma patch cord both the cord's unique ID and connection status, and willsubsequently instruct the intelligent device built into the patch cordto light an LED at the far end of the cable to help the technicianidentify the correct cable.

Generally, a user first plugs a ten-wire patch cord into theprovisioning port of the PMM. Next, the technician plugs the far end ofthe ten-wire patch cord into an Ethernet switch port or Ethernet routerport, and finally moves the near end of the ten-wire patch cord from theprovisioning port to the correct or desired patch panel port. The PMMwill communicate via the 9th and 10th wire of the ten-wire patch cord toan intelligent device embedded in the ten-wire patch cord. From theten-wire patch cord, the PMM will learn both the ten-wire patch cord'sunique ID and the connection status (e.g., whether the far end of theten-wire patch cord is coupled to a switch). The PMM can also instructthe intelligent device built into the ten-wire patch cord to light anLED at the far end of the cable to help a user identify the correctcable.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart depicting functional steps of an example methodfor performing patching in an interconnect type architecture in a guidedpatching case. After initiating the guiding patching mode, a PMM willflash the LED above the provisioning port to indicate to the user whereto insert the ten-wire patch cord, as shown at block 1402. The userplugs the ten-wire patch cord into the provisioning port, and the PMMwill establish communication with the intelligent device in the ten-wirepatch cord at the far end (i.e., the end that is plugged into the PMM isthe near end). The PMM will instruct the intelligent device within thecable to illuminate the far end LED to indicate that some action isrequired from the user (e.g., by flashing the LED), as shown at block1404. If the system includes an NMS, the PMM will send a simple networkmanagement protocol (SNMP) TRAP message to the NMS software indicatingthat a ten-wire patch cord was in the PMM provisioning port.

The user will then insert the far end of the ten-wire patch cord into adesired Ethernet switch port or Ethernet router port, as shown at block1406. The intelligent device embedded in the ten-wire patch cord willdetect insertion (for example, via the corresponding depression of aplunger-style switch) and communicate that information via the 9th and10th wire to the PMM, as shown at block 1408. The PMM then begins tolook for a CDP (Cisco Detection Protocol) or LLDP (Link Layer DiscoveryProtocol) packet from the patch panel, as shown at block 1410 and willuse this packet to determine if the user has correctly inserted theten-wire patch cord into the correct Ethernet switch port or EthernetRouter switch port, as shown at block 1412.

CDP is used to obtain protocol addresses of neighboring devices anddiscover the platform of those devices. CDP can also be used to showinformation about the interfaces that a router uses. Similarly, the LLDPis a vendor-neutral Layer 2 protocol that allows a network device toadvertise the device's identity and capabilities on the local network.The LLDP protocol is fully explained within IEEE standard 802.1AB-2005,the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. A CDP orLLDP packet will inform the PMM of the port address or location at whichthe ten-wire patch cord has been plugged, and the PMM can then determineif the I-Cord has been inserted into the correct port. Of course, otherprotocols could be used as well depending on the source of the data ortype of patch cord being used, for example.

The technician can inform the PMM of a port where the ten-wire patchcord should be inserted using the provisioning or user interface port onthe patch panel system, and the PMM compares this information with theinformation received within the CDP or LLDP packet to determine if theten-wire patch cord has been inserted into the proper port. A technicianmay be working with a panel of ports containing possibly hundreds orthousands of ports, and so identifying the correct port can bedifficult. Thus, the PMM can help the technician by determining if theten-wire patch cord has been plugged into the correct port.

If the PMM determines that the user has inserted the cable into a wrongEthernet switch or Ethernet switch port as indicated by data within theCDP or LLDP message, the PMM will instruct the ten-wire patch cord toflash the LED to indicate to the user that further action is required,as shown at block 1414. For as long as the ten-wire patch cord remainsin the incorrect Ethernet switch port, the I-Cord will continue to flashthe LED. Once the ten-wire patch cord is removed and re-inserted, thesteps above will be repeated.

Once the user has inserted the far end of the ten-wire patch cord in thecorrect Ethernet switch and port on the switch, the PMM will communicateto the intelligent device in the ten-wire patch cord and instruct theten-wire patch cord to turn off the LED in the ten-wire patch cord, asshown at block 1416. The PMM will also begin to flash an LED atop theprovisioning port to draw the attention of the user and the user willthen need to remove the ten-wire patch cord from the provisioning porton the PMM, as shown at block 1418.

Once the user has removed the ten-wire patch cord from the provisioningport, the PMM will stop illuminating the LED above the provisioning portand will instruct the wing board to illuminate an LED above a patchpanel port, as shown at block 1420. The PMM detects whether the user hasinserted the ten-wire patch cord into the correct port, as shown atblock 1422. If the user has inserted the cable into the wrong wing boardport, the PMM will send an “unexpected ten-wire patch cord detected”message to the NMS. For as long as the ten-wire patch cord remains inthe incorrect port, the port LED will continue to flash indicating anerror and that further user action is required, as shown at block 1424.When the user removes the cable from the wrong port, the PMM willinstruct the wing board to turn off the LED indication on the wrongport.

According to one embodiment, a time limit can be imposed on steps withinthe process, after which the process must be terminated or restarted.For example, a user may be given a specific period of time in which toperform the insertion of a plug of an I-Cord into a correct port (asdetected at block 1422) after the I-Cord was removed from theprovisioning port (as shown at block 1418).

The above process will repeat until the user has correctly plugged inthe ten-wire patch cord. Once the ten-wire patch cord is in the correctpatch panel port, the wing board will communicate this information tothe PMM and the PMM will send a message to the NMS indicating that theinsertion has been completed successfully, as shown at block 1426. ThePMM will also indicate to the local user that the action has beencompleted successfully.

The patch panel system of the present application providesalmost-instant or real-time visibility to service disruptions (such asaccidental disconnections) and accidental service activation (i.e., theunintentional creation of a connection) via real-time active monitoringof all patch field connections. As a target, the time between anoccurrence of such an event and visibility of that event at a managementterminal may not exceed three seconds, for example.

The patch panel system of the present application guides the user inadding, moving, or removing patch cords from a patch field to reducehuman error in implementing changes in a patch field. The custom patchcords (nine-wire patch cord and ten-wire patch cord) enable real-timemonitoring of connectivity to provide near-instant feedback of acorrectly (or incorrectly) completed MAC. Multi-color LEDs on the patchpanel provide visual indications on how to execute a work order orcommand, as well as how to correct the insertion or deletion, ifcompleted incorrectly.

In addition, the patch panel system of the present application supportsmultiple configurations of cross-connect and interconnect topologies. Inthe cross-connect topology, all patch panels have PMMs or PEMMsinstalled and nine-wire patch cords provide connectivity between thepatch panels within the system. In the interconnect topology, all patchpanels have PMMs or PEMMs installed and ten-wire patch cords provideconnectivity between patch panels and Ethernet Switches or Ethernetrouters.

The use of expansion ports on the PMMs supports the possible addition offuture devices such as thermal, environmental, and power monitoring andmanagement hardware. Additionally, the removable modular PMM enablesfield update capability because a user will be able to insert and removethe PMM from the system to upgrade the system without the need to changeout a patch panel.

It should be understood that arrangements described herein are forpurposes of example only. As such, those skilled in the art willappreciate that other arrangements and other elements (e.g. machines,interfaces, functions, orders, and groupings of functions, etc.) can beused instead, and some elements may be omitted altogether according tothe desired results. Further, many of the elements that are describedare functional entities that may be implemented as discrete ordistributed components or in conjunction with other components, in anysuitable combination and location.

It will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that themethods described herein may be embodied in a computer program productthat includes one or more computer readable media, as described as beingpresent within the PMM or PEMM. For example, a computer readable mediumcan include a readable memory device, such as a hard drive device, aCD-ROM, a DVD-ROM, or a computer diskette, having computer readableprogram code segments stored thereon. The computer readable medium canalso include a communications or transmission medium, such as, a bus ora communication link, either optical, wired or wireless having programcode segments carried thereon as digital or analog data signals. Theform of the computer-readable medium of instructions can be provided ina variety of forms, and the present application applies equallyregardless of the particular type of signal bearing media used toactually carry out the distribution.

The principles of the present application may be applied to otherspecific systems as well. For example, patch cords and patch panel portsaccording to other embodiments of the present application and that aredesigned for use in optical communication networks or in otherelectrical communication networks that do not employ RJ-45 plugs andjacks can be used as well. In addition, the use of the terms “nine-wirepatch cord” and “ten-wire patch cord” in the present application applyto a traditional eight-wire RJ-45 connection. Thus, a “nine-wire patchcord” refers to any patch cord having one extra wire used forconnectivity management purposes or other purposes as described herein.Likewise, a “ten-wire patch cord” refers to any patch cord having twoextra wires used for the purposes described herein.

It is intended that the foregoing detailed description be regarded asillustrative rather than limiting, and it is intended to be understoodthat the following claims including all equivalents define the scope ofthe invention.

1. A system for tracing connectivity on a communications patch panelcomprising: a patch panel with a plurality of patch panel ports, eachpatch panel port of the plurality of patch panel ports having at leastone associated management contact; at least one wing board containingcircuitry associated with at least some of the plurality of patch panelports, the circuitry of the wing board interfacing with the managementcontacts; a panel management module removably attached to the patchpanel, the panel management module interfacing with the at least onewing board when connected to the patch panel and comprising controlcircuitry that can transmit and receive signals to and from themanagement contacts; and a port trace key removably attached to thepanel management module, the port trace key having a memory for storinga unique identifier.
 2. The system of claim 1 wherein the uniqueidentifier is used to establish a lumination sequence of light emittingdiodes for tracing ends of a cable.
 3. The system of claim 1 wherein thememory of the port trace key also stores changes made to the system. 4.The system of claim 3 wherein the unique identifier of the port tracekey is associated with a specific user.
 5. The system of claim 1 whereinthe port trace key includes an RJ45 connector and 9^(th) and 10^(th)wire contacts.